MAY 2013 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033 E-mail: vema@bigpond.net.au

THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN

VEMAThe oldestcirculating

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outsideGreece

Bribie Island Retreat and Recreation Centrewill Open with a Splash!

Bookings starting on 1 June 2013 are nowavailable for all Parishes and Communitiesthroughout Australia.

PAGE 9/27

Valia CaldaIt’s one of the best times of the year to vis-

it this wildlife-rich area at the heart of thePindos National Park.

PAGE 20/38

Australian PM JuliaGillard’s interview with Greece’sKATHIMERINI newspaper

PAGES 14/32-11/29

MEDIA’S IMPACT ON OUR CHILDREN:

Parenting the Net Generation: Part 3PAGE 7/25

Theological College GraduationPAGE 4/22

INCENTIVES TO INVEST IN GREECE

Any Chinese person investing more than 250,000 eurosin real estate in Greece will be given a five-year residencepermit without having to fulfill any other criteria, PrimeMinister Antonis Samaras told a business conference inShanghai.

The Greek government also aims to offer bigger invest-ors Greek citizenship in a bid to attract investment fromChina. Samaras’s pledge came as he prepared to conclu-de his first official visit to the Asian country.

“This is the last stop of my current visit to China, but Istrongly feel that this is the beginning of a new, moreprosperous chapter in the history of our peoples,” he toldhis audience at the Greek-Chinese business forum.

"Confucius spoke about the «path to Wisdom». Platowrote about the «path to Virtue». Let us join our forces,to establish our own common path to a very prosperousfuture."

The Greek side appeared pleased with the outcome ofSamaras’s trip to China. Apart from issuing a joint com-munique, 11 trade and cooperation agreements were al-so signed during the trip. It is worth noting, though, thatGreece and China also issued a joint communique in Jan-uary 2006 when then Prime Minister Costas Karamanlisvisited Beijing. This time, Chinese government sourcesstressed that it was vital the Greek side followed up onthe agreements it had made.

VISIT TO CHINA ‘ABSOLUTELY SUCCESSFUL'

After the SCD graduation ceremony. From L to R, bottom row: Dr Philip Kariatlis (Academic Director and Lecturer in Theo-logy), Dr Guy Freeland (Honorary Faculty Member), His Grace Bishop Seraphim (Sub-Dean), Sr Dr Margaret Beirne (SeniorLecturer in Biblical Studies), Assoc. Prof. Angelo Karantonis (Editor, Phronema). From L to R, top row: Mr Anastasios Kalo-gerakis (Registrar, Assoc. Lecturer in Biblical Studies), Dr Gregory Fox (Assoc. Lecturer in New Testament Greek), Mr Mark

Woloszyn (BTh 2013), Mr Efstratios Makris (GradDipArts, 2013), Mr Vasilios Le Couliard (GradCertArts, 2013), Mr DimitriosMarcou (BTh, 2013), Mr Dimitri Kepreotes (Editor, St Andrew's Press), Mr Nicholas Koutras (MA, 2013).

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA2/20 MAY 2013

Greek tourism revenues are ex-pected to bounce back this yearbeyond pre-crisis levels. Visitorsfrom Germany, Britain and Russiaare expected back.

Greece has pinned its hopes onits sun-drenched beaches and an-cient monuments to pull itself outof a deep recession. Tourism is theGreek economy's big-gest cash-earner, accounting for about 17percent of output.

Andreas Andreadis (photo), headof Greece's main tourism bodySETE, said tourism revenues areseen rising by up to 10 percent thisyear to 11 billion euros on the backof an expected record 17 millionvisitors.

"We are heading for a recordyear in terms of foreign tourist ar-rivals," he said in an interview withReuters. "Our target of about 11billion euros in direct revenues isfeasible and we may even exceedit."

If SETE's forecast is met, receipts will ri-se to their highestlevel since 2009, when Greece's debt crisis began. That sparkedviolent street protests that scared off visitors.

Hoteliers, restaurant owners and tourism businesses haveslashed prices and upgraded their services to weather the cri-sis and lure more visitors, Andreadis said. A better mix oftourist markets - tourists who stay longer and spend more onaverage - will also help the rise year on year, he said.

About 40 percent of Greece's hotels are now listed under the4-star or 5-star categories, up from 25 percent during the 2004

Athens Olympics, he said, addingthat positive feedback from lastyear's visitors had also helped pre-bookings.

"Fears that Greeks would benegative towards tourists - Ger-mans for instance - were dismissedlast year and now fears have beenreplaced with confidence," saidAndreadis.

Summer bookings from Ger-many and the UK were up 15 per-cent and 20 percent respectively,mainly due to reduced uncertaintyover the country's future in the eu-ro zone and fewer protests since astable government took over inJune, he said.

A popular summer destinationfor deca-des, mainly with Germansand Britons, Greece is now attract-ing increasing numbers of touristsfrom Eastern Europe.

A 30 percent rise in Russiantourists will also add to revenues,Andreadis said. Almost 900,000

Russians visited Greece in 2012, a threefold increase in justthree years.

Russians stay longer and spend more than the average for-eign visitor. According to central bank data for 2012, they ac-counted for 9.4 percent of all receipts, much higher than their5.6 percent share in arrivals. Greece expects tourism to re-bound strongly enough to offset the impact of the Cypriot cri-sis on the Greek economy. The tourism industry employs onein five people in a country where unemployment has climbedto 27 percent.

Greece sees tourism bouncing back beyond pre-crisis levels

Turkish Airlines and MidEast travel agency promote Greek tourism

with foreign operators

Travel agents from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Kuwait, Russia, Saudi Arabia and theUkraine were flown through Istanbul to the Aegean Island of Mykonos recently byTurkish Airlines and the Athens-based MidEast International Tours, celebrating its30th anniversary, to promote tourism to Greece.

The agents travelled to Greece on the initiative of Turkish Airlines, which has alsobrought to Greece agent representatives from Canada, China, India, Korea andTurkey in the past.

The airline has undertaken a series of initiatives to acquaint foreign tour operatorswith the natural beauties of Greece and to promote the Greek tourism product intheir countries.

Turkish Airlines general manager Gulay Ozturk noted the importance the airlinegives to Greek tourism destinations, while Attica prefect Yiannis Sgouros noted thevalue of the Greek tourist product in his address to the visitors.

UNICEF saysover 180,000

teenagers livingwith HIV

in Nigeria

More than 180,000 teenagers areliving with HIV in Nigeria, accordingto the United Nation Children Educa-tion Fund (UNICEF) .

The figure was released during anational dialogue on adolescents liv-ing with HIV in Nigeria to bring reliefto the young patients.

The dialogue was organized by thePositive Action for Treatment Access(PATA) in collaboration with UNICEFand the National Agency for the Con-trol of AIDS (NACA), a non-govern-mental organization working to en-sure that every individual has accessto equitable health services.

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 3/21MAY 2013

Patriarchal Encyclical for Holy PaschaProt. No. 388

† BARTHOLOMEW

By God’s mercy

Archbishop of Constantinople-New Romeand Ecumenical Patriarch

To the plenitude of the Church

Grace, peace and mercy from Christ risen in glory

Beloved concelebrants and devout, god-loving chil-dren of the Church,

Christ is Risen!

The proclamation of the Resurrection by the myrrh-bearing women to the disciples of Christ was consid-ered delirious. Yet, the word, formerly conceived asdelirious, was confirmed as Truth. The risen Lord ap-peared to His disciples on several occasions.

In our time, the proclamation of the Resurrection isagain considered delirious by rationalists. Nonethe-less, we faithful not only believe in but also experi-ence the Resurrection as a profoundly truthful fact.Indeed, if necessary, we seal our testimony with self-sacrifice because in the risen Christ we transcenddeath and are liberated from its fear. Our hearts arefilled with joy when we repeat: The Lord has risen.Our saints, who have died according to the world,continue to live among us, responding to our peti-tions. The world that follows death is truer than theworld that precedes death. Christ has risen and dwellsamong us. He has promised to be with us to the endof the world. And so He is - as our friend, brother,healer, who bestows all good things.

Blessed is our God, who has risen from the dead,granting eternal life to all people. O death, where isyour sting? Christ has risen, revealing and ridiculingthe one who formerly boasted without end to be amockery. (See the Canon of St. John Damascene, 4thtone, 9th ode) Everything is filled with light and ourhearts are replete with limitless joy.

And more than joy, they are filled with strength. Forwhoever believes in the Resurrection is unafraid ofdeath; and whoever is unafraid of death is spirituallyunyielding and unbending inasmuch as what may bethe most terrible threat for the majority and for thedisbelievers is of little significance to the Christian; forit is the entrance to life itself. The faithful Christianlives the Resurrection even prior to his or her naturaldeath.

The consequence of experiencing the Resurrectionis the transformation of the world. It inspires the soul.And an inspired soul also attracts other souls to itsways, when these souls are moved by the genuinejoyous experience of immortality. Christ’s Resurrec-tion and our own resurrection are not simply an ab-stract truth. They are a dogma of faith. They are atangible reality. They are a force that overcomes theworld despite the extremely harsh persecutionswaged against it. “This is the victory, which has con-quered the world, namely our faith” (1 John 5.4) inHis Resurrection. Through the Resurrection, humanityis called to divinity through grace. Through the victo-ry of the light of Resurrection over the impure pas-sions, divine eros and a strange love, which surpasseshuman boundaries, are established in our souls.

Therefore, Christ is Risen! Our hearts are filled withthe light and joy of the Resurrection. We approachthe Risen Lord with authenticity and simplicity. For, asthe royal Prophet David says, our God, who supervis-es our hearts from above, “will not despise a brokenand contrite heart.” (Psalm 50.19)

The Resurrection is our strength, hope, joy, and de-light. Through the Resurrection, we transcend painand sorrow for all the evils of this natural, worldly life.The Resurrection is God’s response to the helpless-ness of wounded humanity before the suffering ofworldly humanity.

We do not surrender to the difficulties and chal-lenges of the modern world. The gathering of theLord’s fearful disciples in the upper room in Jerusalemencourages us. We are not afraid because we loveeveryone, even as He loved us and gave His life forour sake. Mysteriously and invisibly, the Lord accom-panies us. We only need to have - and we do have -love. For though love, we understand the power ofthe Mystery; we know the Mystery itself.

If others hesitate, “garnering their actions in thicksheaves” (Vespers of the Prodigal Son), yet we boast.And if we do not “winnow the chaff of our [sinful andpassionate] actions with the wind of His loving-kind-ness or on the threshing floor of repentance,” theRisen Lord is Love and disperses all forms of darknessand fear that surrounds us, entering our hearts andour world, even when the doors are closed. He “re-mains with us” permanently through the cross oflove. His calling is peace, and He grants us His peace.The powerful of this world pledge and promise peace,but can never produce or realize it. Whereas the pow-er of divine Love, Peace and Wisdom remains beyondall human panic. It is not found on the margins of re-ality or the surface of human convictions. Instead, it isthe heart of humanity, the center of life, the lord oflife and death. It is Truth.

The incontestable transcendence of Power invisiblycontrols the reigns and directs all things, especially ata time when “the minds of so many lie in darkness.”

At this time of widespread dissolution throughoutthe world, the hope of all throughout the universe,the Wisdom of God, is the presence of the heavenlysolution and harmony. At a time of collapse and an-ticipated death, we have the reality of Resurrectionand the strength of our conviction in Christ.

The peace that derives from Him who trampleddown death by death through his self-emptying, to-gether with the joy of love, flow and heal our con-temporary humanity that sighs and suffers as well asall of creation that groans and laments with us, who“await adoption and redemption” as well as “thefreedom of the glory of the children of God.” (Romans8.20-23)

Truly the Lord is Risen, beloved fathers,brothers and sisters!

Holy Pascha 2013

† Bartholomew of Constantinople

Your fervent supplicant before God

Group of Greek doctors takes initiative to heal professionBy Ioanna Fotiadi - Kathimerini, Athens

“We are the doctors you meet in the emergencyroom who take over when you arrive in the ambulance,who take down your medical history and try to find youa bed, who sit up all night beside you to make sure youhave what you need and to be a sounding board foryour anger at the mistakes of others.”

The initiative is called “Movement of New Doctors,”and this is how it introduces itself on its blog and onFacebook. The aim of this new but extremely dynamicmovement is to reconnect the doctor to the patient, torid the profession of practitioners accustomed to get-ting a fat wad of cash on the side, and to uphold thecode of conduct and introduce more transparency intohealthcare at a time when the sector in Greece finds it-self stretched to the limit.

“It all began about two-and-a-half years ago when weparticipated in the occupation of the Health Ministryduring a protest against budget cuts,” Yiannis Kalliatsos,a 35-year-old trainee cardiologist and one of thefounders of the movement, told Kathimerini. The aimwas to figure out how to improve some of the manycomplex problems that plague the sector, both fromthe standpoint of its workers and from that of the pa-tients.

“It is a movement with a purely social character,”Kalliatsos insists.

The movement has succeeded in drawing around6,000 members from all over Greece, as well as a fewGreeks specializing abroad. They come from all agegroups and levels of experience, from specialized doc-tors to medical students.

“Our ambition is to introduce a new culture into theprofession, but also to revive its most fundamentalprinciples,” explains Kalliatsos. “Obviously the move-ment has brought together people from across the ide-ological spectrum, but there are no political ambitionshere.”

The movement does not have a president and mem-bers meet about once a month in different parts of thecountry.

The members do not mince their words when talkingabout one of the main objectives of the movement,which is to eradicate the phenomenon of doctors andother hospital workers demanding payment for serviceson the side - known in Greek as a “fakelaki,” or small en-velope.

If the previous generations of doctors lost their wayand learned to dip into the honey pot, the new genera-tion says that it is a far cry from the doctors of that era.

“We are the doctors who were at the top of our class-es, who worked hard to make it into medical school andwho have since experienced one disappointment afteranother: chaos at university, an endless wait for spe-cialization, humiliating salaries or the complete absenceof payment,” says Kalliatsos.

“We have not been paid for emergency shifts for be-tween five and 16 months though we have to be on call,seeing around 50 cases a day apiece,” the heart doctoradds, saying that meanwhile there are 11,000 doctorsin Greece still waiting to get their specialists’ certifi-cates as the process has more or less ground to a halt.

“Basically our message is that medicine, above allelse, should be a social service,” Kalliatsos says.

MAY 20134/22 TO BHMA The Greek Australian VEMA

ST ANDREW’S GREEK ORTHODOX THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE

Thanksgiving Service for College graduates The Thanksgiving Service for College graduates was

celebrated on 17 May. The evening’s proceedings be-gan with a Doxological Service chanted by students,past and present.

His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos, as Dean, confer-red the graduates with the College’s Ecclesiastical De-gree and read a benediction over them. In his addressto the congregation of reverend clergy, faculty, distin-guished guests and members of the general public, HisEminence acknowledged the ongoing efforts of staffand colleagues in accomplishing the difficult task of pro-viding theological education, citing especially the long-standing collaboration and affiliation with the SydneyCollege of Divinity (SCD). He concluded by wishing thatthe graduates show themselves worthy of the trust ofthe Church and society as a whole.

Honouring this important occasion with their pres-ence were His Grace Bishop Seraphim of Apollonias,Sub-Dean; Mr Peter King, President of the SCD Council;Prof. Diane Speed, Dean of the SCD; Rev. Associate Pro-fessor Gerard Kelly, Principal of the Catholic Institute of

Sydney; Dr Leonard Smith, Principal of Emmaus BibleCollege; Prof. Jim Harrison, SCD Director of Research,and other colleagues from within the SCD and its mem-ber institutions; reverend clergy and ArchdiocesanCouncil Members. There were also College alumni andrepresentatives from the various committees of theCollege and the Archdiocese.

Both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees werebestowed as noted below:

Bachelor of Theology with Graduate Diploma of Arts:Efstratios Makris (VIC). Bachelor of Theology with Grad-uate Certificate in Arts: Vasilios Le Couilliard (VIC).Bachelor of Theology: Theodoros Dimitriou (VIC) in ab-sentia, Dimitrios Marcou (VIC) and Mark Woloszyn(VIC). Master of Arts: Emmanuel Kassiotis (NSW) in ab-sentia, Nicholas Koutras (NSW) and John Su (VIC) in ab-sentia. Graduate Diploma of Arts: Leon Bagas (WA) inabsentia.

The latest group of graduates brought to 119 the to-tal number of graduates - receiving 146 Sydney Collegeof Divinity degrees and awards at various levels, but pri-

marily the Bachelor of Theology - since St Andrew’sopened in 1986. Most of the aforementioned graduateswere also present at the Sydney College of DivinityGraduation Ceremony the following morning, 18 May,along with approximately 80 graduates and 400 atten-dees from other member institutions of the SCD. Herethey were conferred their respective degrees andawards in the Great Hall of the University of Sydney bythe President of the SCD Council, Mr Peter King. A par-ticular honour for St Andrew’s was the presentation ofthe Rev. Dr Brian Murray Memorial Prize to one of itsown, Mark Woloszyn.

This prize is awarded annually to the student with thehighest level of academic achievement in the disciplineof Theology across all SCD member institutions who isgraduating with the Bachelor of Theology. Mark is thethird recipient from St Andrew’s in the prize’s 15-yearhistory. The Occasional Address was delivered by Prof.Warwick Wilson, Chairman of the SCD Academic Board,Honorary Fellow of the SCD, and Emeritus Professor ofthe University of Western Sydney.

Left: From the Doxological Service at the Cathedral of the Annunciation of Our Lady Theotokos at Redfern. Right: The Dean of St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College, ArchbishopStylianos and the Sub-Dean, Bishop Searphim of Apollonias, with the graduates of the College

2013 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia National Schools EventSt Andrew’s Grammar Secondary School (SAG), in

Perth, Western Australia, took a group of 39 studentsand 5 teachers to the 2013 Greek Orthodox Archdio-cese of Australia National Schools Event (GOAANSE).The event was hosted by Oakleigh Grammar in Mel-bourne, Victoria from 8th May - 10th May. The GreekOrthodox Day schools that participated included: AllSaints Grammar School (NSW); Oakleigh Grammar(VIC); St. Andrew’s Grammar (WA); St. Euphemia Col-lege (NSW); St. George College (SA); St. John’s College(VIC) and St. Spyridon College (NSW).

The opening blessing ceremony took place at theGreek Orthodox Church of Sts Anargyri. The servicewas presided by His Grace Bishop Ezekiel of Dervis,assisted by His Grace Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolisand various clergy, including our own, the Very Rev-erend Archimandrite Elpidios Karalis, SAG SchoolChaplain and teacher. At the end of the service, HisGrace Bishop Ezekiel and His Grace Bishop Iakovosadressed the students in Greek and English respec-tively.

Following the service, the SAG Boys Basketball teamplayed five games and won all five. It was the firsttime, in the history of the school that a championshiptrophy was won. They were coached by Mr Dion Ser-ras and the best player medal was awarded to Sha-quille Maharaj. The following day, SAG participated in

the Girls Netball competition. They were coached byMs Erin Rolfe and the Best Player Medal was awar-ded to Maddy Koelmyer.

Michael Karagianis represented the school at theSpoken Arts Festival. He sang a solo song in Greekwhich engaged an audience of over 500 people. Hisperformance was outstanding. This was followed bythe Championship Dinner, held at Oakleigh Grammar,where students and staff from all schools had the op-portunity to socialise and dance.

On the final day, SAG fielded three teams: IndoorSoccer (Boys and Girls) and Boys Volleyball. The BoysSoccer was coached by Mr Brendon Noble; the GirlsSoccer was coached by Ms Erin Rolfe and the BoysVolleyball was coached by Mr Dion Serras. The BestPlayer Medals were awarded to: Michael Peddy forBoys Soccer; Vanessa Lam for Girls Soccer; MadekynKoelmyer for Girls’ Netball and Jovan Drasko for BoysVolleyball.

The presentations and concluding ceremony tookplace that afternoon. SAG was presented with thePerpetual Boys Basketball Championship Trophy. Thiswas proudly accepted by the Basketball Captain, BenOnesmo. Ben made an excellent speech as SportsCaptain. That evening, the Principal of SAG (Mr SimonMidson), staff and students attended the VespersService at the Sts. Cyril and Methodius church in Pre-

ston, presided by His Grace Bishop Ezekiel. Followingthe Vespers Service, Father Vasilios Kourtessis andthe church committee hosted a dinner which was at-tended by His Grace, parishioners and SAG staff andstudents. Yovan Drasko won the Greek Easter Eggcompetition and was presented with a special gift byFather Vasilios.

We would like to thank our sponsors: Bowra andO’Dea (Funeral Directors); Limnios Property Group;Mr And Mrs Emanuel Petrelis; The Castelorizian La-dies Association of WA (Megisti); Kailis Brothers andChristos Valley Estate.

The coaches were supported by SAG staff: Mr ManoPsanoudakis; Mrs Jodie Walsh and Ms Shea Halge.

Mr Harry Liapis was responsible for facilitating theevening dinners and lunches for SAG during our stayin Melbourne. This was greatly appreciated by all staffand students.

The trip enabled students to have further experi-ence of: Orthodoxy; sportsmanship; civics and citizen-ship; collegiality; language and culture.

The trip was an outstanding success and was en-joyed by all.

Mrs Maria Coate Greek Studies Co-Ordinator

Head of Secondary St Andrew’s Grammar School (WA)

TO BHMA 5/23MAY 2013 The Greek Australian VEMA

Our Primate’s View

EASTER MESSAGE 2013+ STYLIANOS

By the grace of God

Archbishop of Australia

to all the Reverend Clergy and devout faithful

of our holy Archdiocese

Brother concelebrants and “illumined children of theChurch”,

Once again, the grace of God, who is All-Good, has en-abled us this year also to reach Holy and Great Lent andprayerfully experience the characteristic stations ofprayer and fasting. This is just as our reverent Forefathers- who had “placed all things in good order” - provided andestablished for us centuries ago.

And it is indeed true that, throughout the entire ecclesi-astical year, there is no other period that is as rich in puri-fying and alternating services, as this blessed period.

What can one mention first, and what last, from this vastspiritual journey and feast? There are the: Sundays of theTriodion, the Saturdays dedicated to the Souls, the Saluta-tions to the Theotokos, the divine Annunciation of the Vir-gin Mary, and the five Sundays of Lent, Palm Sunday andthe astounding days of Holy Week with the awesome Pas-sion and resplendent Resurrection of the Lord.

In this way, we arrive soundly at the morning of the Res-urrection, during which the loving Mother Church speaksto all the faithful without exception with the words

“Come receive the light from the unfading light,and glorify Christ who is raised from the dead.”

And of course, the illumination that each person will re-ceive shall no doubt depend upon the willingness of eachto respond to that invitation.

However, precisely because the invitation is directed toall people, it must be stated unreservedly that it is not the

subjective factor that introduces us to the redemptiveprocess of the abolition of death. Rather, it is the all-ac-complishing power of the God-Man Christ who by deathtrampled upon death.

The death and Resurrection of Christ are pro-claimed by the Apostle Paul as the guarantee also of ourown Resurrection, since our baptism in the name of Christsecures not merely an ethical improvement of our formerlife, but a radical renewal “through the glory of the Fa-ther”:

“Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism intodeath,

so that, just as Christ was raised from the deadby the glory of the Father,

so we too might walk in newness of life.”

(Rom. 6:4)

Yet, if the Resurrection of Christ is for the Apostle Pauldirectly connected with the “glory of the Father”, for Johnthe Evangelist our Resurrection is the fruit of God’s Lovefor the believer, a Love so powerful that it can even com-pel the sacrifice of the only-begotten Son:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,so that everyone who believes in him may not perish

but may have eternal life.”

(John 3:16)

To the risen Lord Jesus, who for all people died androse, be all glory, honour and worship to the ages

Amen!

EASTER 2013

With fervent prayers in the Risen Christ

Archbishop S T Y L I A N O S

[translation from the original Greek DK]

By ARCHBISHOPSTYLIANOSOF AUSTRALIA

Australia to receive 190,000 immigrantsand 20,00 refugees Australia will receive around 190,000 immigrants

and 20,000 refugees next year. During the fiscal year 2013 - 2014, 190,000 immi-

grants will move to Australia, according to the esti-mates of Australian Immigration and Citizenship Min-ister, Brendan O’Connor.

In particular, 128,550 positions will be provided forskilled migrants, 60,885 places for family migration(people who go to Australia to be with their families)and 565 places for migration under special eligibility.The government of Australia decided to take 700 po-sitions from the skilled migration category and addthem to the family migration category in response tothe high demand for family migration positions fromAustralians, particularly in the partner category.

Economic recovery in sight, Greek FM says

Greece's Finance Minister, Yannis Stournaras, sayshe believes Greece's battered economy will begin torecover starting next year, with the country's mas-sive unemployment rate starting to fall from the endof 2014 onwards.

Speaking in an interview on state-run NET televi-sion, Yannis Stournaras said the government's aimwas to achieve a primary surplus - a surplus withouttaking into account interest payments on outstand-ing debt - by the end of this year.

Stournaras says this would allow the country toask its international creditors for some further debtrelief.

Greece has been relying on billions of euros in in-ternational rescue loans since mid-2010 after exces-sive debt and a huge budget deficit left it facing im-minent bankruptcy. [AP]

Finance Minister,Yannis

Stournaras

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA6/24 MAY 2013

What caused you to start this Party?

The suggestion to start the Australian SovereigntyParty actually came from an associate and now veryclose friend of mine, Daniel Huppert. He came acrossme from my role in political activism in Melbourne(where The Age and television media demonstrated myinvolvement), and wanted to work on positive changein Australia with me. After much philosophical dis-course, Daniel helped me understand that all of my po-litical activism was more or less ineffective - no matterhow much media attention came my way. The only ef-fective way to affect change is via the political realm.

In what ways has your Greek background influencedyour desire to be politically active?

My Greek background and upbringing was, and is,largely responsible for my political activism. At a veryearly age, my father, Christos Orfanidis, began educat-ing me and taught me countless invaluable facts, val-ues, morals, and philosophies, as he always believedthat it is my heritage and natural evolution to follow inthe footsteps of the wise Greeks whose influence has e-choed throughout the millennia. An educated man him-self, he spent countless hours with me to ensure thateverything and anything I did was always beneficial andvaluable towards my education and development.

My father’s influence essentially instilled in me an un-quenchable thirst for knowledge, and a burning desireto keep educating myself and utilise critical analysis toseek the facts for any given topic. I was probably theonly seven-year old who had read his entire Encyclo-paedia set. Just as I started high school, my father’s de-sire for me to learn Greek philosophy from the wise

men of antiquity was fulfilled. The benefit of havingread the works of the ancient Greeks is that it gave mea deep understanding of logic and reason, as well aswisdom in coping with everyday situations. I had a verydifferent perception of the world at my young age.

The most influential of Greek philosophers that im-pacted upon me in a big way were Plato, Aristotle andPericles. For as long as I live, I’ll never forget their wis-dom and role in politics that set the rules for millenniato come. It was Pericles, one of the founding fathers ofDemocracy, who said; “Just because you do not take aninterest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an

interest in you”. Plato added to this by saying; “One ofthe penalties for refusing to participate in politics is thatyou end up being governed by your inferiors.”

I don’t think I could ever articulate just how much im-pact and influence my Greek heritage has bestowed onme.

What do you hope to achieve through this Party?

The fact of the matter is, if you keep doing whatyou’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.Taxes are constantly increasing. Debt levels continue torise - of which the tax-payer must pay the bill. Our civilliberties are being eroded in the name of political cor-rectness and equality. Our justice system stopped beingabout justice a long time ago. Laws make it extremelydifficult for small and large businesses to operate inAustralia - hence so many jobs are leaving the country.

What I hope to achieve through the Australian Sover-eignty Party is to rectify all of the wrongs of successivegovernments - both Labor and Liberal. I wish to end theillusion of choice and democracy, and foster in an hon-est form of democracy where the will of the people maybe truly represented. I wish to protect our civil libertiesand enshrine them with an Australian Bill of Rights. Iwish to see measures implemented that will ensure ac-countability in government and in the courts. Ultimate-ly, I want to be able to say that I did everything I can tomanifest a better Australia for generations to come.Again, the wisdom of the ancient Greeks articulate thisever so elegantly;

“A society grows great when old men plant treeswhose shade they know they shall never sit in.”

ARE WE GOVERNED BY OUR INFERIORS?He is only in his mid 20s, but as the co-founder of the new Australian Sovereignty Party told the VEMA,

Greg Orfanidis already knows that apathy towards politics is not part of his heritage.

$44,000 awarded to Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of St Nectarios, Burwood N.S.W.

The NSW Treasurer, Mike Baird MP, joined theMember for Strathfield, Charles Casuscelli RFD MP, atSt Nectarios Church in Burwood to announce 14 proj-ects in our local community would receive a total of$300,000 to improve their facilities and offer moreservices to local residents.

St Nectarios Church received $43,888 of the fundingwhich has been provided through the NSW Govern-ment’s Community Building Partnership program. MrCasuscelli said that he was delighted to be on hand tosupport the work of this church along with many oth-er community organisations.

“The support of both faith based groups and other

community agencies of those in need throughout ourcommunity has always been invaluable,” Mr Casuscel-li said. “Funding like this helps to keep these organisa-tions supporting those who need their assistance.”Treasurer Baird, who enjoyed a tour and inspection ofthe church grounds before the announcement, saidthe Community Building Partnership program helps tosupport the work the government is doing aroundNSW.

“The NSW Government is getting on with the job ofrebuilding the state by delivering the largest state in-frastructure agenda in Australian history - worth$61.8 billion over the next four years.” St Nectarios

Secretary, Christina Ethymiades, and Parish Priest, FrGeorge Liangas, were extremely grateful and said thefunding will help fix grounds around the church.

“We were delighted to welcome the Treasurer andMr Casuscelli to our Church so they could see howthese funds will address an important communityneed, we’re so grateful for their support,” Ms Ethymi-ades said.

“The proposed work will greatly improve the ameni-ty of the courtyard and make it more accessible andinviting for all and we sincerely thank the NSW Gov-ernment for its financial support,” Father Liangas con-cluded.

The NSW Treasurer, Mike Baird MP, with Member for Strathfield, Charles Casuscelli RFD MP with St Nectarios’ Committee members, and right with Fr George Liangas

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 7/25MAY 2013

Growing up fast and furious

Media’s impact on our children:

Parenting the Net Generation: Part 3

We continue our discussion about how parents canhelp teenagers deal with the dangers of the Internet.This discussion is based on the book ‘Me, MySpaceand I: Parenting the Net Generation’ by psychology oftechnology expert Prof Larry Rosen1.

Just a Few More Minutes…

Many young people have addictive behaviours re-lating to electronic media. Research shows that 10-20% of teens are highly addicted to the Internet, withperhaps another 30-40% are moderately addicted.Some of the signs of internet addiction include:

• Denial and lying about the amount of time spenton the Internet.

• Lying about what he or she is doing on the Inter- net.

• Change of sleep habits to accommodate on-linehabits.

• Academic problems: slipping grades, missed orpoor assignments.

• Declining interest in outside hobbies.

Dealing with computer addiction may require ei-ther proactive or reactive parenting strategies. Proac-tive parenting may include:

•

•

If you suspect that your teen is doing something tohide activities, you may need to use reactive parent-ing strategies. The goal is to help your child. Simplyremoving the computer or disconnecting the internetconnection may be too overwhelming and may havecounterproductive results (e.g. the child may feel theneed to go to a friend where they can be on-line in amuch less supervised environment). Also, your kidsare Internet savvy, and will find a way around your re-

strictions. Instead, you may use the following strate-gies:

•

•

•

The Internet and your Family

It is to some extent normal for children to spendmore time with friends and less time with family asthey progress through adolescence. However, wenow know that much “friend time” is now spent con-versing on the Internet. This has led to less time spenton family activities. This leads to reduced family com-munication, in turn leading to less family cohesionand more conflict at home.

What can the parent do to prevent this erosion offamily life? Here are some suggestions:

Develop a healthy parenting style. Often parentsfeel that they need to strike a ‘balance’ between‘tough’ parenting and ‘soft’ parenting. There is, how-ever, a much better way to look at it. There are twoseparate dimensions to parenting (Figure 1): how de-manding the parent is of the child (levels of control),and how warmly the parent relates to the child (levelsof nurture). Ideal parenting is when levels of controland levels of nurture are both high. This is called “Au-thoritative Parenting”. Authoritative parents are de-manding but also child-centred. They set clear limitson the child, but those limits are sensitive and rea-sonable. When it comes to dealing with their Internetuse, authoritative parenting means parents having

the final say about the rules relating to the computer,but allowing children to contribute to what the rulesshould be. Needless to say, the two parents need tobe on the same page in this regard.

Set and maintain behavioural limits. Many parentsset appropriate limits, but do not enforce them. Whatare reasonable limits? They may include:

•

•

•

Find Computer Uses that are Positive; e.g. for edu-cational purposes. Children are more likely to beopen about their computer use if you show interest inthe positive things that they do on it.

Comment

Christ is the archetype of everything that we do asChristians. He is thus the archetype of everything thatwe do as parents. God is love; He forgives us limit-lessly and gives us His grace so abundantly. He alsogives us rules and commandments; these are theroadmap that we need to develop spiritually and be-come close to Him. God can also chide us out of love:“For whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a fatherthe son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:12). Thusthe job of parenting is the job of salvation, just asmarriage is a path to salvation. The good thing aboutparenting is that it so often exposes our weaknesses;the things that we need to work on. We can thus be-come better parents by working on ourselves: build-ing on virtue, ‘denying ourselves’, putting our pas-sions to death. Electronic media is a new challengefor parents; it is a difficult challenge, one that re-quires a lot of vigilance, discernment and love. Get-ting it right will go some way in attaining our salvationand the salvation of our children.

“The use of the Internet can definitely disruptone’s academic, social, financial, and occupa-tional life the same way other well-document-ed addictions like pathological gambling, eat-ing disorders, and alcoholism can”.

Dr Kimberly Young, Director of the Centre for Online Addiction and Professor

at St Bonaventure University

By Fr George LiangasChild and Adolescent PsychiatristAssistant priest, St Nectarios Church, Sydney

1 Rosen LD. Me, MySpace, and I: Parenting the Net generation. NewYork: Palgrave MacMillan; 2007.

Figure 1: Different styles of parenting. Source: http://transforminggrace.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/tim-sisemore-moving-beyond-reactive-parenting/. Accessed 2 May 2013.

You as the parent ought to be well-informedabout what your child is doing on the computer.You have the right to look at their computer atany time. This needs to be something your childagrees to if he or she wants to use the computer.Aim to look at their computer at least once dailyat the beginning, and randomly after that.

Stipulate what activities must be finished beforethey gain Internet access. This may include home-work, chores, or anything else that your child isignoring in order to go online.

Complete homework and household choresbefore any computer use. If the computer isneeded for homework, that work must be com-pleted prior to any recreational use of the com-puter.

Internet use should be apportioned so that ado-lescents do not spend large chunks of time on-line.

Allow your teen to earn extra computer time; e.g.by doing extra chores. Be clear as to what thereward is for achieving a particular goal.

Set a timer to limit Internet time. Make it a loudtimer, which makes them more aware of the pas-sage of time. Give them reasonable time on thecomputer, e.g. 1 hour, and ensure that theyspend as much time off the computer. With yourchild, make a list of off-line activities that theycan do, e.g. sport, visit a friend, read a book.

If children do not follow through, create a be-haviour contract, where you stipulate the expect-ed behaviour and the positive and negative con-sequences if the behaviour is or is not performed.Be specific, be reasonable and do not neglect thepositive motivators. Rewards that are based onactivities (more computer time, later bedtime)work better (and are cheaper) than tangible rein-forcers such as ice cream or a toy.

Ensure that you know how to look at web pagesvisited previously by the computer user. This canbe a bit tricky, as teens know ways of disguisingwhat they are doing. However, ask your teenagerto show you. Aim to have an open two-way com-munication about how they are spending theirtime on-line. Let them know that you are awarethat they may be tempted to close screens uponyour approach or hide things in other ways.

TO BHMA8/26 MAY 2013The Greek Australian VEMA

Australian Federal Police support to continue in CyprusAustralian Federal Police (AFP) officers will contin-

ue their work supporting the United Nations (UN)Force in Cyprus, the Minister for Home Affairs andJustice Jason Clare announced earlier this month.

The AFP will continue its support through a com-mitment of 15 police officers. This contributionmeans Australia is providing the largest componentof the United Nations Police (UNPOL) contingent toCyprus. To date, 101 police deployments have de-ployed to Cyprus totaling over 1,574 officers.

”The AFP’s continued presence in Cyprus demon-strates our commitment to UN peacekeeping opera-tions, and reinforces Australia’s willingness to active-ly contribute in resolving conflict,” Mr Clare said.

“Australia has played a pivotal role in maintaininglaw and order in Cyprus and the surrounding regionsince 1964.

“Australia was recently successful in securing aseat on the UN Security Council and is the 12thlargest contributor to the UN regular and peacekeep-ing budgets.

“We have deployed 65,000 defence and police per-sonnel to over 50 UN and other peace and securityoperations since 1947.”

“AFP members are based throughout Cyprus wherethey work as patrol officers, personnel officers, in-structors and political liaison officers.” Mr Clare said.

Further information about the Australian Govern-ment’s commitment to the UN mission to Cyprus:

• The renewed commitment to provide support tolaw and order within the UN Buffer Zone is in keepingwith the 1974 Cease Fire Agreement and ensuing UNMandates, and will help to strengthen bilateral work-ing relationships between Australian senior policeand their counterparts from contributing nations.

• Australia has contributed to the UN Mission inCyprus since its inception in 1964.

• This proposal is aligned with the Australian Gov-ernment’s policy of supporting and engaging with theUN, and contributing to global peace and stability.

• This will maintain Australia’s contribution of 15AFP officers to 30 June 2015. Minister for Home Affairs and Justice, Jason Clare

NSW Parliament recognises

Pontian GenocideNew South Wales Parliament has recognised the Ge-

nocide of Pontian Greeks, Assyrians and Armenians. Themotion was passed unanimously by the NSW Parlia-ment, after a proposal by Senator Fred Nile.

In the motion passed by the NSW Parliament Legisla-tive Assembly on Wednesday May 8, it is stated that thethen Ottoman Empire has committed genocide againstthese three specific groups between 1915 and 1922.

New South Wales is the second Australian state (afterSouth Australia) that recognizes the Genocide of PontianGreeks, Armenians and Assyrians.

Abducted Orthodox Archbishops OK In SyriaTwo Orthodox Bishops kidnapped in Syria, are

both in good health but still in the custody ofrebels.

Aleppo’s Greek Orthodox Bishop Paul Yazigiand Syriac Orthodox Bishop Yohanna Ibrahimwere kidnapped on April 22, while they werepassing from the Turkish border on their way toAleppo.

The Lebanese website dailystar reported thatthe Acting President of the Syrian National Coali-tion George Sabra said by telephone to KataebParty leader Amin Gemayel, who was in a meet-ing with Syriac Orthodox Bishops with a delegation in Beirut, that the two clerics arebeing held by a small rebel group in Bshaqtin, a small village 20 kilometers northwestof Aleppo and are okay.

The meeting was held at the Kataeb Party’sheadquarters in Saifi and was attended byMount Lebanon’s Syriac Orthodox BishopGeorge Saliba, Beirut Bishop Daniel Koriyeh, Syr-iac League President Habib Efram and DeputyBishop of Aleppo Joseph Shabo. Bishop Saliba al-so spoke to the Syrian opposition leader overthe phone and urged him to act in order to se-cure the release of the abducted Bishops.

Gemayel reportedly said during the meetingthat the abduction of the Archbishops is a badmessage for the Christian communities of Syria,

while Bishop Saliba said that it will provoke fear if they were not released: “I don’tknow whether the Christians would leave the region because of this or stay and reactto this kidnapping in a way that we do not want.”

Zimbabwe’s Kefalos wins Dairy Awards

The Zimbabwean company, Kefalos Dairy products,won three major awards in the recent 2013 SouthAfrican Dairy Championships. According to “all afri-ca“, the company has produced a variety of high qual-ity dairy products for 20 years now and is well knownfor its creams, yoghurts and cheeses.

Kefalos won First Prize in the Plain Full Cream Yo-ghurt Category with their Greek Style Yoghurt, FirstPrize for Dairy Ice-Cream with Condiments with theirPremium Hazelnut Ice-Cream, and Third Prize fortheir Mozzarella Cheese, so widely used by our pizzaoutlets and restaurants nationwide. In the Pizza Moz-zarella Cheese category, entries were judged both fortheir taste and their functionality.

The company makes the products at a modern fac-tory. They include: Halloumi cheese, the Cypriot deli-cacy so popular fried as a starter in many of Zimbab-we’s restaurants; mozzarella, favored by pizzerias;Provolone cheese; Feta cheese, a staple in classicGreek salads; Kefalotiri cheese (the Greek equivalentof hard, tasty parmesan); and Ricotta cheese.

What few pizza lovers realize is that Kefalos Moz-zarella is also delicious when eaten uncooked as partof a simple Italian-style salad that also includes, freshtomatoes, basil and olive oil. It can be enjoyed on itsown too.

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 9/27MAY 2013

OFFICIAL OPENING

His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos will officiallyopen the Bribie Island Retreat and RecreationCentre on 1 October 2013 in the presence of Fed-eral, State and Local politicians together with oth-er official guests and our youth from around Aus-tralia.

This exciting and highly anticipated event will bepart of the 10th National Youth Conference to beheld in Brisbane. The Conference will commenceon Sunday 29 September and finish on 1 Octoberwith the official opening of the Youth Centre atBribie Island.

YOUTH EVENTS – Centre’s first events

Before this official opening a historic and busyfour days will occur between 28 June and 1 July.There will be three major events to mark the firstuse of the Bribie Island Retreat and RecreationCentre.

Educators will be the first to benefit with a twoday retreat and workshop aimed at nurturingtheir emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being. Teaching is a high stress profession, espe-cially for those who juggle professional lives withfamily responsibilities. We trust that the practicalnature of this retreat will benefit delegates inboth their professional and personal lives.

It is hoped to expand this event to an annualfeature of the Bribie calendar for Orthodox edu-cators, locally and nationally. Mother Kallistheni,Abbess of the Monastery of Panagia Gorgoepi-koos in Geeelong, Victoria, will be the keynote

speaker providing reflections on “Education as aPersonal Spiritual Journey”.

On June 30 the site will host a Community OpenDay with a Divine Liturgy and family fun activities.Following the Liturgy the accommodation cabinswill be open for inspection and there will be danc-ing performances and displays in the communityhall. A highlight of the day will be the “1000 Help-ing Hands” beach chain. This event will highlightthe potential “miracles” that can occur when awhole community rallies together for a cause, inthis case “Our Youth”. All are welcome.

The Centre’s operational start date is 1 July.This milestone of our Greek Orthodox Archdio-cese will be celebrated with a youth excursion forteenagers and young adults with events plannedat the Centre and on the beach.

BOOKINGS & DONATIONS REQUIRED

Bookings starting on 1 June 2013 are now avail-able for all our Parishes & Communities through-out Australia. With the completion of construc-tion only weeks away, the Committee continuesto seek financial support to furnish and fit out theCentre with essential equipment in its kitchen andcommunity hall as government funding only cov-ers the construction. Please support this projectand help generations to come. Donations to theBuilding Fund are tax deductible.

For more information, please refer to our web-site: www.gobribieisland.org or become a Face-book friend. Bookings are now available. ContactHelen Passaris (07) 3349 7647

Yes! I would like to help our youth

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Please make Cheques/Money Order to:Bribie Island St Andrew’s Theological College Building Fund

PO Box 247 Aminya St Mansfield Qld 4122

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Bribie Island Retreat and Recreation Centre

will Open with a Splash!

Bookings are now available for all Parishes and Communities throughout Australia

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA10/28 MAY 2013

There has been an increasing numberof arrivals of home porting and transittourists at the Piraeus Port in the firstquarter of 2013, according to data pre-sented by Piraeus Port Organisation(OLP) president and managing directorGeorge Anomeritis, who said that by theend of the year cruise ship passengerswill be serviced by three stations.

Anomeritis said a 5,600 sq.m. secondinternational station for cruise ship pas-sengers will be inaugurated on May 27,while a third station, of 3,500 squaremetres will be ready by the end of theyear.

Presenting data on tourist arrivals anddepartures at the port, Anomeritis saidthere has been an increase of 24.68percent in the first quarter of 2013,compared to the same quarter in 2012.

The number of home porting passen-gers in the first quarter this year roseby 22.05 percent and amounted to8,120, compared to 6,653 in 2012.

Transit passengers increased by24.94 percent and amounted in the firstquarter to 88,948 compared to 71,194 in2012.

Considerable increase

in tourist arrivals at Piraeus port

Kallipatira Awards Greek Olympic Champions’ Mothers

The Pan-Hellenic Association ofWomen Athletes Kallipatira, under theauspices of the Ministry of National De-fense, awarded the mothers of theGreek Olympic Champions of Beijingand London, at the Thessaloniki War Mu-seum, on the occasion of Mother’s Day.

The Minister of National Defense,Panos Panagiotopoulos attended theevent and pointed out the need to “rallyas Nation and as Greek community

around the traditional values that havekept Hellenism upright during its mostdifficult moments of its history.” Hepraised the crucial contribution of thefamily and particularly of the mother tothe athlete’s objectives achievement.

The Association Kallipatira awardedthe mothers of the following OlympicChampions: Alexandros Nikolaidis,Vasileios Polymeros, Sophia Mpeka-torou, Pigi Devetzi, Ilias Iliadis, Christina

Giazitzidou, Alexandra Tsiavou, DimitriosMougios, Sofia Papadopoulou and Vir-ginia Kravarioti.

International Energy Saving

Award for CreteThe International Conference MEDEEA-

Mediterranean Energy Cities EuropeanEnergy Awards that took place inCyprus’ capital Nicosia on May 15-16awarded the municipality of Malevizi inthe Greek island Crete for its energy-saving policies.

During the conference, projects wereawarded, among which the actions ofMalevizi municipality, with the leadingintegration of the village Keramoutsi inGreen Villages project.

Aim of the conference was to rewardenvironmentally friendly politics of 320municipalities of seven countries (Spain,Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Cyprusand Greece), as well as to define thenew strategic plan in the energy policydomain until 2020, in the framework ofthe European network for the climatechange Covenant of Mayors.

EUROVISION

Denmark wins, Greece comes 6thin Eurovision Song Contest

Denmark’s Emmelie de Forest (pho-to) won the 2013 Eurovision SongContest - with Greece’s Agathon andKoza Mostra finishing 6th.

Greece participated in the competi-tion with the song “Alcohol is Free,” afusion between electronic dance andrebetiko sounds.

The 20-year-old Danish singer wonthe annual competition with a bare-foot performance backed by flutesand drums.

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 11/29MAY 2013

Wednesday 29th May 2013.80 Gardeners Road, Kingsford NSW 2032

9.30 am – 11 am

Junior School Open Morning.

For bookings or enrolment information please contact The Enrolment Officer on (02) 9311 3340 or enrolments@stspyridon.nsw.edu.au or visit www.stspyridon.nsw.edu.au

Discover what makes our children shine.Come and see!

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The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA12/30 MAY 2013

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Katerina + Kyriacos Mavrolefteros

Fitch Ratings upgraded its sovereign credit rating for Greece to B-minus from CCCciting a rebalancing of the economy and progress in eliminating its fiscal and currentaccount deficits.

“The price has been high in terms of lost output and rising unemployment and thecapacity for recovery is still in doubt. Nonetheless, sovereign debt relief and an eas-ing of fiscal targets have lifted central bank measures of economic sentiment to athree-year high and the risk of eurozone exit has receded”, Fitch said.

The rating outlook is stable, Fitch said in a statement. Greece is rated B-minus witha stable outlook by Standard & Poor's while Moody's Investors Service has a C ratingon the credit.

Fitch upgrades Greece's credit rating

Ecumenical Patriarchplays down reports

of assassination plotThe Ecumenical Patriarchate attempted to play down reports of a plot to as-

sassinate Vartholomaios, the spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Church, asTurkish authorities made an arrest.

“The patriarch is not taking this too seriously. He doesn’t believe there is a se-rious threat,” Patriarchate spokesperson Dositheos Anagnostopoulos told Reu-ters.

Turkey’s chief public prosecutor is investigating an anonymous letter claimingthat three people - including the suspect that has been arrested - had been plan-ning to kill Vartholomaios.

The investigation was launched after a letter was sent from the Central Anato-lia province of Kayseri, warning that Vartholomaios would be the target of an as-sassination attempt on May 29 which marks the 560th anniversary of Istanbul’sconquest by Mehmed the Conqueror, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

One Turkish man was detained in connection with the alleged plot and policeare seeking another two, according to sources who said the suspects had re-cently arrived in Istanbul from Kayseri.

According to Hurriyet, the suspect who was detained denied any knowledge ofthe plot and claimed to have traveled to Istanbul to visit his relatives.

It is thought that Vartholomaios has been the target of at least two assassina-tion plots in the past.

Greece will return to markets in the first half of 2014

“We have not overcome the crisis and have not exited recession but hope isreviving. Fall has stopped and we will soon see start of rise. We are still facingdifficulties so we must continue at the same pace”, said Prime Minister AntonisSamaras in his address to SEB annual general assembly. Mr Samaras also under-lined: “Greece will return to the markets in the first half of 2014”, and added“Some are now betting on when Greece’s growth starts. I do not get involved inbets. I merely want Greece to do better, to do much better than what they ima-gine because we can do much better.”

Referring to the difficult circumstances the country faced the Prime Ministersaid: “At one point there was an impression that Greece’s exit from the Euro-pean family was supposedly inevitable. This is a view of the past. Nowadays, no-body refers to the so called Grexit, Greece’s exit from the Eurozone. It is only apainful memory”, Mr Samaras concluded.

TO BHMA 13/31

Health

MAY 2013

CHICKEN POXChicken Pox, also known as Varicella, is a mild, but

highly contagious viral disease. It tends to target chil-dren under fourteen years of age and may also affectadults. Outbreaks are more common in Winter andSpring. The virus responsible for Chicken Pox is knownas Varicella Zoster.

Chicken pox is a vaccine preventable disease.

SYMPTOMS OF CHICKEN POX

Children are usually not very sick. They may be lethar-gic and may or may not have a fever. Adults with Chick-en Pox are usually quite unwell with a flu-like illness.

The skin rash of Chicken Pox is characteristic. Therash comes out in crops over three to four days. Initial-ly, it looks like little flat red spot which forms a littlepimple like head which soon turns into a fluid filled ballcalled a vesicle which looks like a small blister. Thevesicles subsequently burst and become crusty to leaveopen sores. These become dry and form scabs.

The rash usually starts proximally on the torso, thenprogresses to involve the head and the limbs. The rashcan cause ulceration in other areas such as the ears andmucous membranes of the mouth and vagina.

The rash is intensely itchy and the patient will want to

scratch at the lesions. Unfortunately the scabs whenscratched can become infected.

It is when the scabs become infected that scarringcan occur.

INFECTIVITY OF CHICKENPOX

Chicken Pox is highly infectious. It spreads by dropletsfrom the nose and mouth, or by direct contact with theopen lesions. The incubation period is about 14 to 21days. The illness may start with a fever, sore throat, orheadache. The affected individual may be contagiousfor a few days prior to the rash appearing. As there is along incubation period, the disease may not appear un-til 2 to 3 weeks after exposure to an infected person.

COMPLICATIONS OF CHICKEN POX

Chicken Pox is usually a mild illness with complete re-covery. Infection of the spots or ‘pocks’ can occur. Thismay lead to scarring. Sometimes the affected personmay develop a cellulitis which is a bacterial infection ofthe skin. More serious complications of Chicken Pox in-clude encephalitis and pneumonia.

CHICKEN POX AND SHINGLES

The virus responsible for Chicken Pox , known as Vari-cella Zoster may cause attacks of shingles in previouslyaffected individuals in later life. (Shingles is also calledHerpes Zoster.)

After an attack of Chicken Pox, the Varicella Zostervirus lies dormant in certain nerve cells called the dor-sal root ganglia. From here it may reactivate and giverise to an attack of Shingles. Shingles is a particularlypainful condition because it involves inflammation ofthe nerve.

A person who has shingles will respond well to med-ication if the medication is commenced soon after the

shingles rash appears and preferably within seventytwo hours of the rash appearing.

TREATMENT OF CHICKEN POX

The patient should rest indoors and be kept homefrom school or work for at least seven days, or until allthe pocks are dried and covered by scabs. Paracetamolshould be given for fever and Calamine lotion used toreduce itching. Lukewarm baths with baking soda oroatmeal added to the water are soothing. Children whoscratch should have their nails cut short and wear cot-ton mittens to prevent infection and scarring fromscratching.

For more serious cases of Chicken Pox or for adultswith a serious eruption, antiviral drugs such as Acyclovircan be used to treat Chicken Pox, but treatment shouldstart within seventy two hours of the rash appearing.

VACCINATION

A vaccine is available for prevention of Chicken PoxThe vaccine is recommended as a single dose at eight-een months and provided for free as part of the Na-tional Childhood Immunisation Programme.

The chicken pox vaccine can be given to adults andchildren older than eighteen months. Indeed it can begiven from thirteen months of age.

It should be considered for other children at ten tothirteen years of age who have not yet previously beenexposed to chicken pox. It can also be given to adultswho have not been exposed to chicken pox.

Talk to your doctor today about Chicken Pox or Vari-cella vaccination.

* The information given in this article is of a general natureand readers should seek advice from their own medical prac-titioner before embarking on any treatment.

HEALTHNEWS

The Greek Australian VEMA

WITH DR. THEO PENKLIS *

Bank of Sydney proud sponsor of the Hellenic Women of Sydney’s Fundraiser

Bank of Sydney was proudly the majorsponsor of The Hellenic Women of Sydney’sFundraiser held last Friday on the 10th ofMay 2013 at the St Spyridon College Hallunder the patronage of Her Excellency, Jen-ny Bloomfield, the Australian Ambassadorto Greece and the strong support of HisEminence Archbishop Stylianos and theConsul General for Greece in Sydney MrVasilios Tolios.

“Bank of Sydney is proud and privilegedto be the major sponsor of this night of giv-ing and Kindness towards the less fortunatepeople in our homeland,” said Mr SoterisHadjikyriacou, Head Marketing, Branch andCommunity Development at Bank of Syd-ney. Mr Hadjikyriacou added, “It gives us agreat pleasure to share with you the excit-ing development in our history being theBank of Sydney. Our new identity will fur-ther strengthen our ability to continue pro-viding you with relationship banking, basedon personal, flexible and competitive serv-ices and products. The Name change marksa significant new direction for the Bank andhighlights our commitment for continuedgrowth in the Australian market.”

Mrs Marina Efthymiou thanked Bank ofSydney and Etihad Airways for their sup-port for the Hellenic Women of Sydney’sfundraising drive to comfort many orpha-ned, abandoned, sick, disabled children andwomen in Greece.

Mr Vasilios Tolios Mrs Marina Efthymiou Mr Sotiris Hadjikyriakou

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA14/32 MAY 2013

Australian PM Julia Gillard’s interviewwith Greece’s KATHIMERINI newspaper

By Tom Ellis

Australia was able to avoid sinking into recession dur-ing the global financial crisis thanks to well-timed meas-ures that prevented the creation of fiscal deficits andsafeguarded its economy, the country’s prime minister,Julia Gillard said in an interview with Kathimerini,adding that during the crisis, the government adopted agrowth-inducing strategy that helped businesses sur-vive and prevented the loss of jobs.

The leader of the world’s 12th biggest economy,which will chair the G20 in 2014, spoke about Aus-tralia’s ties with Greece and the contribution of theGreek diaspora, about immigration and about the roleof the newly established Hellenic-Australian BusinessCouncil. She also spoke about the Cyprus and FYROMdisputes, issues that Australia must deal with as a mem-ber of the UN Security Council.

What is your assessment of the austerity path beingpursued by the eurozone in dealing with the crisis?

The most immediate priority in Europe is to bolstereconomic growth and jobs, and to create a positivesense of opportunity for the future. Across the EU thereare over 26 million people out of work - more than theAustralian population. And when you see youth unem-ployment rates of 24 percent across Europe and around60 percent in Greece and Spain - you are then facing a‘lost generation’ which takes years to recover from.That is why focus needs to be placed on reforms thatpromote new sources of growth, a recovery in the pri-vate sector and greater financial and economic integra-tion.

Pro-growth policies in the areas of investment, infra-structure, trade, and reform must be implemented. Thiswill involve some politically difficult choices. However,economic reforms will only work in conjunction withcommitments to reduce debt. For some countries thatmeans more fiscal consolidation in the short term andensuring all economies have credible medium-term fis-cal strategies.

The way forward on European integration is furtherprogress on implementing a banking and fiscal union,and operationalizing the EU’s financial firewall againstthe crisis.

How has the economic crisis impacted Australia?

The weaker global economy saw a reduction in de-mand for Australia’s exports, sharp declines in assetprices and international capital becoming difficult forcompanies to access. When faced with this challenge,my Labour government took decisive action: we put inplace a well-timed and substantive stimulus package,supported the financial system and made arrangementsfor businesses to keep their doors open and people inwork. This, supported by monetary policy action, ourflexible exchange rate and Australia’s connection to theemerging economies in Asia, meant that Australia wasone of very few countries to get through the global fi-nancial crisis without having gone into recession.

Today, Australia enjoys solid economic growth, grow-ing by more than 13 percent since 2007 in contrast toother advanced economies around the world - in factthis is our 21st consecutive year - and a relatively lowunemployment rate wit

h over 900,000 jobs createdsince we came to office.But we are not immune to international developments- one of the key risks to the domestic economy remainsthe fragile state of international economies and finan-cial markets. And the weak global economy plus ourhigh dollar, which is increasingly being perceived as asafe haven currency, has put pressure on certain indus-tries and is also affecting our budget with massive rev-enue write-downs.

Australia is running the lowest deficit among ad-vanced economies. Is there a lesson for the rest of us?

In Australia, our key priority has been to support jobsand growth. We’ve managed our economy so we havelow inflation, low interest rates, low unemployment,solid growth, strong public finances and a triple-A rat-ing. When the global financial crisis hit, our fiscal re-sponse was timely, temporary and targeted. We provid-ed stimulus spending that contributed around 2 per-centage points to real GDP growth in 2009 and withoutit we would have lapsed into recession. We then fol-lowed up with a clear set of fiscal rules to return tomedium-term balance without jeopardizing jobs orgrowth. We have offset every single dollar of newspending with targeted and responsible matched sav-ings since mid-2009. We have always understood thatwe live in challenging economic times and, as a result,we have remained flexible and responsive to changingcircumstances and have never put political outcomes a-head of economic outcomes.

What does being a member of the G20 mean forAustralia?

The global economy is going through a rapid transfor-mation. As a middle-sized economy in the Asia Pacificregion, Australia sees first-hand the extraordinarychanges that are taking place, as China, India and otheremerging economies develop. The center of global eco-nomic activity is shifting eastward and will be over cen-tral India by 2030, when there will be 3 billion new mid-dle-class consumers in Asia.

As the only forum that brings together those econo-mies with the major advanced economies, the G20 hasa vital role to play in helping manage this transforma-tion. The G20 played a crucial role in managing theglobal financial crisis. But we continue to face majorchallenges including the prospect of an extended peri-od of slower global economic growth and high unem-ployment. That is unacceptable. We are working closelywith this year’s host, Russia, to bolster global economicgrowth and job creation, and will use our own period aschair of the G20 in 2014 to continue this work.

We look forward to working closely with the EU and

other G20 members in 2014. We will also be working tobuild on the G20’s achievements on issues such astrade, investment, infrastructure and development, andto reform international institutions like the IMF to makethem more representative of 21st century realities.

How would you describe Australia’s role in today’sworld?

The international community has a lot to offer us andwe have a lot to offer the international community. Wehave strong, world-leading institutions, a multiculturaland highly skilled workforce, and a productive, openand resilient economy, that continues to outperformour peers. Australia plays an active part in global affairs,as demonstrated by our commitment to serve on theUN Security Council and to host the G20 in 2014.

Australia is also an active participant in key regionalarchitecture spanning the spectrum of international se-curity, and economic and social issues including the EastAsia Summit and the Asia-Europe Meeting.

We have been a long-standing and committed mem-ber of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and in pro-moting its free trade objectives. Our relationships withothers are shaped by the unique contribution that per-manent and temporary migration has made to Aus-tralian society and the strength of our diverse people-to-people links of which the Greek community hasplayed a significant part.

How would you describe bilateral relations withGreece?

Greece and Australia enjoy an active relationshipbased upon strong community links, shared history,trade and strongly held values of democracy and re-spect for human rights. Australians remember the is-land of Lemnos as the base for the Gallipoli campaign.Enduring historical links were also formed from the in-volvement of Australian troops in the defense of Greeceduring World War II.

Hundreds of thousands of Australians trace theirroots back to Greece and are rightly proud of their her-itage. The Australian-Greek community has participated

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 15/33MAY 2013

Cont. from previous page

in all aspects of Australian life since the first Greekmigrants arrived in the mid-19th century and is wellrepresented in the workplace, arts, professions, politicsand other areas of our society. The community also hasa proud history of involvement in a wide range of wel-fare, cultural, sporting and social activities. The contri-bution that Australians of Greek descent have made toshaping our national character and values cannot bemeasured.

Today the bilateral relationship remains strong as aresult of frequent travel between our countries for hol-idays, study and work.

What could the recently established Hellenic-Aus-tralian Business Council achieve in substantive terms?

The Greek community in Australia is a very proud oneand as someone from Melbourne - the third largestGreek-speaking city in the world behind Athens andThessaloniki - I am absolutely aware of the contributionof that community. And the community can act as abridge in helping to forge closer links between our twocountries and regions to mutual benefit.

That is why I was pleased to note the establishmentof the Hellenic-Australian Business Council, the firstsuch forum established in Greece, and wish it every suc-cess.

The activities of the Council will help forge greaterlinks between Greek and Australian businesses, linkswhich can facilitate improved levels of trade and invest-ment between our countries. At present, and despiteour very strong community and cultural links, bilateraltrade and investment is relatively low. The Council canplay an important role in assisting businesses as they

look for opportunities in sectors such as shipping, ener-gy and resources, infrastructure, tourism, food andservices.

Has the economic crisis in Greece resulted in an in-crease of migration to Australia from this country?

The Greek Community in Australia is a proud andstrong community and I have been very pleased toshow my support over the last few years as prime min-ister at the Antipodes Lonsdale Street Glendi festival inMelbourne. I was also pleased last year to announcethat the government would make a $2 million invest-ment towards an Antipodes Center for Greek Culture,Heritage and Language in Melbourne.

On your question, statistics show there has not beenany significant change in migration from Greece. Ourtwo countries have strong people-to-people ties andmany dual nationals who may travel from one countryto the other.

Australia’s skilled migration program is open to peo-ple of all nationalities with the qualifications and skillsin demand in Australia, including from Greece. Andthat’s because Australia is a migrant nation - my par-ents came here as migrants.

Our relationships have been shaped by the uniquecontribution that migration has made to Australian so-ciety and the strength of our diverse people-to-peoplelinks of which the Greek community has played a signif-icant part.

Australian firm Woodside has signed an initial agree-ment with Israel offering its liquefication experienceand marketing structure in the future export of Israeligas. Could there be similar interest for the transport ofGreece’s or Cyprus’s potential gas reserves?

Through hard work and determination, we have builta highly capable and experienced oil and gas sector inAustralia. Any country wishing to develop gas reservesor gas liquefaction capacity is welcome to speak withAustralian companies with expertise in this area includ-ing Woodside.

The Australian government welcomes opportunitiesfor all Australian companies to share their knowledge,expertise and investment internationally.

Finally, as a member of the UN Security Council forthe next two years, how do you view the prospect of aresolution on the division of Cyprus and on the issue ofthe name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedo-nia (FYROM)?

We wish peace and justice for Cyprus. Australia hasdemonstrated a long, ongoing commitment to helpingto find a solution to the Cyprus dispute and is support-ing the work of the UN secretary-general and others tobroker a just and permanent settlement.

Australia’s approach as a member of the UN SecurityCouncil reflects this commitment. Australia played aconstructive role in the renewal of the mandate for theUN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in January.Since 1964 Australia has deployed civilian police officersto UNFICYP, making it the longest continual internation-al contributor to the mission.

In relation to FYROM, Australia continues to supportand encourage the parties concerned to resolve theirdifferences and to support the mediation process led byUN Special Representative Mr Matthew Nimetz. Aus-tralia follows UN practice, using the term “Former Yu-goslav Republic of Macedonia,” as a temporary meas-ure, pending resolution between the parties.

Churches horrified at the abduction

of two archbishops in Syria

The National Council of Churches in Australia (NC-CA) and the whole ecumenical community is horri-fied at the news that two archbishops from Aleppo,Syria were abducted and their driver killed earlierthis week.

“Churches around the world are concerned for thesafety of Archbishop Mar Gregorius Yohanna Ibra-him, Syriac Orthodox Church and Archbishop BoulosYazigi, Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and all theEast, who were intercepted by armed men as theytravelled from Turkish border areas where theywere undertaking humanitarian work.” said Rev-erend Tara Curlewis, NCCA general secretary.

Last year Archbishop Mar Gregorius Yohanna Ibra-him addressed a group at Princeton Universitywhere he compared the current protests to thosefrom the 1980s, and described the current scene asrife with assassinations, kidnapping, looting, and de-struction of public buildings and utilities. He is now avictim of the kidnappings he described.

Curlewis concluded “The current attacks and on-going violence against innocent people in Syria issenseless and unacceptable. The Australian church-es join their voices with churches around the worldcalling for all the actors in the Syrian conflict and theinternational community to combine their efforts tosecure the safe release of the two archbishops andprevent any further instances of abduction and anend to the violence.

We continue to pray for the current political situa-tion in Syria that God will guide all leaders to recon-cile the differences so that the country may returnto a place where justice, peace and human dignityexist for all people.”

Greek Scouts Under the aegis of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese

In conjunction with Scouts Australia

ENROLMENTSCub Scouts, Scouts, 7yrs-15years – boys & girls

make new friends! be part of a team, learn new things and have lots of fun boys and girls will benefit from the Australian Scouting program as well as the additional Greek Parallel program and the opportunity

to practice their knowledge of the Greek Orthodox culture and the Greek language

To enrol your children contact:Parish of St Euphemia – Bankstown

Paul Theodore - mob. 0411259800.Marino Milessis – mob. 0421101566

Parish of St Stylianos – SutherlandNicholas Depolignol - ph. 95793888 - 0419486855

Voula Kapsimallis – mob. 0410732770Parish of All Saints – Belmore

Loui Soravias – mob. 0412024535Ourania Papadimatos – mob. 0450646101

Also more Adults are needed to participate by becoming a Leader or Assistantor Helper (all training will be provided)

Authorized by Mr George Papadimitriou James PhC,MPS,JP

For further information ph. (02) 9567183516, Crewe St. Bardwell Park 2207

Email: greekscouts@hotmail.com

The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA16/34 MAY 2013

CAN WE LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN AUSTRALIA?

In the last few issues the VEMA has focused on theeight Greek Orthodox Colleges. It has evaluated theirbackground, their results in the national assessments,made comparisons with Jewish or Islamic schools, aswell as evaluated the mission statements of our GreekOrthodox Colleges.

In this article we turn our attention to the CatholicSchool system in Australia to see what can be learntfrom the National Catholic Education Commission’s re-port on Australian Catholic Schools 2012.

Number of schools

In Australia the Orthodox are almost exactly onetenth the numbers of Catholics. We have eight schools.On the other hand, there are about 1700 schools for 5½million Catholics.

Of course, any direct comparison with the CatholicChurch is not at all fair. For a start, it has taken 175years to establish the Catholic educational system.

On the other hand the focus of the Orthodox Churchhas been to survive. The first priority was to establishparishes. In the post-war years it faced some very per-ilous circumstances.

Importance of primary schools

The Catholic emphasis is on primary schools. Thereare only 318 Catholic high schools and 150 combinedschools but these are dwarfed by the 1228 primaryschools.

On the other hand our emphasis has been on com-bined schools. With the benefit of hindsight I now be-lieve that it should have been on primary schools.

Non-Catholic students

Just over 29% of the 735,403 students in the Catholicsystem are non-Catholic. Maybe this raises the futurequestion of to what extent we should be seeking enrol-ments from non-Orthodox.

Retention rates

Despite the emphasis on primary schools, most of thegrowth in Catholic school enrolments has been at thesecondary level.

The Catholic secondary schools have a high retentionrate from primary education. It is a staggering 121%.Possibly this is a practical indicator of how satisfied par-ents are with this education system.

Single-sex versus co-educational schools

Parents are also painfully aware that they will get on-ly one chance to provide the best schooling for theirchildren. Single sex versus co-educational schooling is aconcern.

Close to 37% of Catholic secondary schools were sin-gle sex schools (33% of combined schools) whereas allour Orthodox colleges are co-educational. Obviouslythere were practical reasons for having co-educationalGreek Orthodox colleges.

Net income

In New South Wales the Government spends about$11,000 for each primary or $14,000 for each second-ary student in the classroom. In 2011, the net income ofCatholic schools was $11,377. About 26% of this camefrom fees to parents.

Orthodox schools provide a fairly similar standard ofschooling as Catholic schools. The overall income isabout the same (a touch more) but my estimates arethat the fees from parenmts are around %50 - %65 ofthe Greek Orthodox school income. It seems doubtfulthat Orthodox schools are receiving a comparable pro-portion of government funding as Catholic schools.

Conclusions

As a Church we have to deal with education as part ofthe future of Orthodoxy in Australia whether we like itor not. This report shows a number of ways in which we

might think about the system in Australia. The purposehas not been to compare but to establish benchmarksfor evaluation.

Some factors to consider are: the number of schools,the number of primary schools, the proportion of non-Orthodox students, the retention rates, single sex ver-sus co-educational schools and the proportion of gov-ernment subsidy.

But there are some more vexing issues that may re-quire a major rethink. A key question is to evaluate towhat extent church schools per se are necessary andsufficient for religious development. Please pay atten-tion to both the words “necessary” and “sufficient”.

Naturally, independent schools like Catholic schoolsand our Greek Orthodox colleges will tend to be superi-or to state systems on a number of educational criteriabut this is not germane to the matters at hand. The keyissues are spiritual.

In the case of the Catholic schools there was no dataon the spiritual outcomes. I would venture to say thatCatholic schools provide a decent schooling. I oftenwonder, however, whether they are anywhere near aseffective in a religious sense as might be imagined.

Allow me to close with one sobering statistic. At pres-ent some 3.1% of all Catholic school students are Or-thodox. This might not seem like a large figure.

It is when I tell you that it is 20,673 Orthodox chil-dren. It is even more significant when you realise that itis around five to six times the number of students in ourGreek Orthodox colleges!

This is the final article in this series for the time being.I am grateful to the VEMA for the opportunity to airsuch views. I hope that these will be a catalyst forchange. Thank you also to many readers for their pa-tience and encouragement.

I remind you that it is unlikely that I am right about allthese matters. Education is a complex issue.

Sources: National Catholic Educational Commission. Aus-tralian Catholic Schools 2012. Canberra, ACT: Author; Aus-tralian Catholic Bishops Conference, Pastoral Research Office,E-News Bulletin, Issue No. 3,17 August 2012)

Dr James AthanasouUniversity of Technology, Sydney

athanasou@gmail.com

Greek President Karolos Papoulias and Prime Minister Antonis Sa-maras congratulated Olympiakos Piraeus for retaining basketball’sEuroleague title on Sunday night.

The Reds beat Real Madrid 100-88 in the final at London’s O2 are-na to hold on to the title of Europe’s best basketball team. The Pi-raeus side’s victory means that Greek sides have won the Eu-roleague for the last three seasons in a row.

“From the bottom of my heart, congratulations to Olympiakos forits second consecutive European title and for filling everyone withpride,” said Samaras in his statement.

Papoulias chose to draw parallels between Olympiakos’s victory,which came after serious budget cuts in Greek basketball, and thecountry’s general plight as a result of the economic crisis.

“Your great success in a top European club competition for a sec-ond consecutive year is a big example for all of us that with method-ical work, dedication to the target and, above all, faith in ourstrengths we can reach the peak,” said Papoulias in a telegram to theteam.

“On behalf of all Greeks, a big thank you.”

Olympiakos's Euroleague basketball win shows Greeks can 'reach the peak,' says President Papoulias

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 17/35MAY 2013

St Gregory Nazianzus (Part II)In the previous issue, we traced the early years of St

Gregory Nazianzus (c.330 – c.389): his upbringing in ru-ral Cappadocia, his travels and studies to various citiesof the empire, including Alexandria and Athens, hisclose friendship with Basil the Great, and his eventualreturn to Cappadocia, where he was ordained to thepriesthood and later, under pressure from Basil, or-dained as a bishop. But rather than serve his see of Sasi-ma, Gregory fled to the mountains, defying Basil andcausing a rift in their friendship. The events of the re-mainder of his life, however, were to raise Gregoryfrom a relatively unknown figure to one of the greatesttheologians of the church.

From his mountainous retreat, Gregory returned toNazianzus to assist his father in his pastoral duties. Notlong afterward his father died, at the age of almost 100,and a few months later his mother died also. Gregorywas therefore left to administer the church of Na-zianzus on his own. But pastoral responsibility, especial-ly in his home town, never sat easily with Gregory, andso when a successor was installed in that bishopric, hefled again - this time to a monastery in Seleucia, on thecoast of the Mediterranean. He remained there for aconsiderable time (about four years), and he describedthis as one of the happiest times of his life.

In 378 the Arian-friendly emperor Valens was killed ina military battle, and this marked the end of the imperi-al patronage of Arianism. Valens’ successor was Theo-dosius, a devout Christian and an unequivocal support-er of the Nicene (or orthodox) faith. Also around thistime Gregory lost his longtime friend, Basil. Gregorysent a letter of consolation to Basil’s brother, Gregoryof Nyssa, excusing his absence from Basil’s funeral onaccount of illness. The burden of defending orthodoxynow fell on Gregory’s shoulders.

Gregory soon received the call to go to Constantino-ple. The capital was at this time dominated by Arians. Infact, for some 40 years there had been no Nicene bish-op of Constantinople. Gregory was therefore asked totake charge of the small number of Christians in Con-stantinople who still adhered to the orthodox faith.Gregory accepted the invitation, perhaps feeling that itwas his duty to take over Basil’s mantle in the strugglefor the survival of orthodox Christianity. (Please notethat “orthodox” at this time referred to those who ad-hered to the Council of Nicaea held in 325, and who re-jected Arianism.)

When Gregory arrived in Constantinople, in 379, hefound there was not even a church free for him to use,as the churches were under the control of the Arians.Gregory therefore converted a room adjoining thehouse where he was staying with relatives, and he na-med this improvised chapel the “Anastasia”, the Churchof the Resurrection. But Gregory’s situation drasticallychanged once Theodosius entered Constantinople inlate 380 and took up residence there (he was previous-ly based in Thessalonica). Theodosius sent Demophilus,the Arian bishop of Constantinople, into exile, and onthe following day Gregory was installed as the newbishop in the hope that he would heal the religious divi-sions that plagued the city.

In his autobiography Gregory gives a memorable de-scription of his procession through the city with the em-peror to the Church of the Holy Apostles, where hewould be installed as bishop:

Gregory’s ministry in Constantinople was a great suc-cess. In less than two years he consolidated and in-creased the pro-Nicene community in the capital, al-most solely through the force of his own pastoral andtheological endeavours, including his five famous ‘The-ological Orations’. This was achieved in the face of con-siderable opposition from the Arian faction. At onepoint, during an Easter vigil, the Arians attacked Grego-ry and his congregation with stones, and at anotherpoint an attempt was even made to murder Gregory.But Gregory forgave the would-be assassin immediate-ly, which won him even greater support around the city.

One of the highlights of Gregory’s ministry was the

leadership role he played in the Council of Constantino-ple, held in 381 and later to be known as the secondEcumenical Council. A major goal of the council was toend the trinitarian and christological controversies thatwere undermining church unity, and to this end itpromulgated the ‘Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed’which we continue to confess in the Liturgy today.

Another aim of the council was to ratify Gregory’s ap-pointment as bishop of Constantinople. Gregory’s ap-pointment was duly confirmed, and shortly after thepresident of the council (Meletius of Antioch) passedaway and Gregory was chosen to succeed him. Gregorythus unexpectedly found himself both bishop of the im-perial capital and president of the most importantchurch council under the new regime of emperor Theo-dosius. But this was only to spark a new wave of dis-putes and intrigues.

Objections were raised on technical grounds againstthe validity of Gregory’s appointment as bishop of thecity, and a dispute also arose as to who should succeedMeletius as bishop of Antioch. Gregory had become fedup with these disputes and so he decided, to everyone’ssurprise, to resign his position as bishop and councilpresident. He gave an eloquent farewell address to hisfellow bishops, and then walked out of the assembly tothe shocked applause and honours of the bishops, be-fore also requesting the emperor’s consent to resign.Officially, Gregory had been bishop of Constantinoplefor no more than 6 weeks!

For the rest of his life, Gregory lived quietly on thefamily property in Cappadocia, where he devoted histime and energy to his theological works, editing andrewriting his sermons, and corresponding with friendsand people of influence across the empire.

Gregory’s greatest legacy is perhaps his defence andelucidation of the doctrine of the Trinity. As one schol-ar, Christopher Beeley, recently stated, “Gregory Na-zianzen stands out among Christian theologians ofevery generation for the clarity, the power, and thespiritual depth of his teaching on the Trinity.”

Much of Gregory’s trinitarian theology was developedduring his short time in Constantinople, from 379 to381, which shows just how much the intense demandsof his office drew out his best theological work. Whathe says about the Trinity tends to be cautionary and de-fensive, in the sense that he seeks to answer his oppo-nents’ charges against the divinity of the Son and theSpirit, and he also wants to emphasise the incompre-hensibility of God, to show that God cannot be fullyknown. His overriding concern, however, is to providewhat he called a “single definition of piety”, which con-sists in “the worship of Father and Son and Holy Spirit,the one Divinity and power in the three” (Oration22.12).

I will conclude with one of the best illustrations ofGregory’s writings on the Trinity, a passage from hisfifth Theological Oration which has been described (byChristopher Beeley) as “possibly the most complete andnuanced definition of the Trinity in all of patristic litera-ture”:

Dr N.N. Trakakis(Graduate of St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox

Theological College, and Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the Australian Catholic University)

The Greek Australian

VEMAThe oldest circulating Greek newspaper outside Greece

Tel: 02 9559 7022 Fax: 02 9559 7033email: vema@bigpond.net.au

APRIL 2013 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033 E-mail: vema@bigpond.net.au

THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN

VEMAThe oldestcirculating

Greeknewspaper

outsideGreece

“Parthenon: An icon ofGlobal Citizenship”

The International Organising Committee -Australia - for the Restitution of the ParthenonMarbles will host the International Colloquy:“Parthenon: An Icon of Global Citizenship” inSydney from 15th to 17th November 2013.

PAGE 6/24

ArcadiaThe heart of the Peloponnese retains a gen-

uine rustic feel amid traditional villages andfir forests.

PAGE 19/37

Christian ArchitecturalSymbolism and the Holy Monastery of Pantanassa

PAGES 10/28-11/29

MEDIA’S IMPACT ON OUR CHILDREN:

Parenting the Net Generation: Part 2PAGE 7/25

We extend our sincere good wishes to all our readersfor a Happy Easter in good health and family unity

US ON ALERT

AFTER BOSTON MARATHON CARNAGEThe FBI has launched a potential terrorist investigation

after at least three people died when twin explosionsripped through the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

More than 100 people were injured in the near-simul-taneous blasts, which happened as runners finished themarathon, and with tens of thousands of spectators lin-ing the streets.

TV footage showed the blood-stained street litteredwith casualties after runners were cut down by flying de-bris. Dozens of people were taken from the scene onstretchers and in wheelchairs.

US president Barack Obama has put federal authoritieson alert and vowed to bring those responsible for theblasts to justice.

"We will find out who did this. We'll find out why theydid this," Obama said in his brief, three-minute state-ment.

"Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups,will feel the full weight of justice."

Authorities say at least three people were killed andmore than 80 injured during two explosions near the fin-ish of the marathon. A senior US intelligence official saidtwo other explosive devices were found near the end ofthe 26.2-mile (40 kilometre) course.

Additionally, the president spoke with Republican andDemocratic leaders on Capitol Hill, saying that "on dayslike this, there are no Republicans or Democrats, we areAmericans united in our concern for our fellow citizens."

“The moment had arrived… The market placeswere full, the colonnades, streets, every place, twoand three storey houses were full of people leaningout, men, women, children, the very aged… When Iand the emperor in his purple majesty came withinthose awesome gates, God’s praises rang out fromall the people with one accord… The gloom clearedfrom everyone’s face and spirits, and as their confi-dence increased at this vision, they cried out withall their strength, asking for me, as if this were theone thing lacking to those present; it would be thefirst and greatest honour for the city…if I were tobe appointed to that city’s throne. This was de-manded by the men in high position and the lessimportant… this was demanded by the womenshouting from the upper gallery… There was an in-credible thundering noise echoing off the walls.”

“There was the true light, which enlightenseveryone who comes into the world” (Jn 1:9) – theFather. “There was the true light, which enlightenseveryone who comes into the world” – the Son.“There was the true light, which enlightens every-one who comes into the world” – the Comforter (Jn14:16, 26). “Was” and “was” and “was”, but onething was; “light” and “light” and “light”, but onelight and one God. This is what David imagined longago when he said, “In your light we shall see light”(Ps 36:10). And now we have both seen and pro-claimed the concise and simple theology of theTrinity: out of light (the Father) we comprehendlight (the Son) in light (the Spirit). [Oration 31.3]

TO BHMA18/36 MAY 2013

Arts, Food & Wine

The Referendum: Cui Bono?Editor: Imogen Coward

By Tal Coward

The phrase “Cui Bono”, meaning a sceptical questionof “Who benefits?”, was famously asked by Cicero andis used to this day in Law. It is perhaps one of the mostpowerful questions anyone can contemplate when re-quired to investigate an issue or make a judgement ofgreat import. Before we go further, you may be askingyourself what an article on Australian law is doing in thefood and arts section of the newspaper. The proposedSeptember referendum on recognizing local govern-ments in the Commonwealth Constitution should be ofinterest and potential concern, as local government notonly controls services such as waste disposal and theupkeep of roads, but they also exercise control overbusiness, food safety standards, schools, communityhalls, urban development... all areas which contributeto the quality of life an area’s citizens enjoy. Next timeyou get a chance, look at your State’s legislation detail-ing the powers and responsibilities of local government.You may be surprised.

Q. How many constitutions (that is, statutes which laydown the foundational rules of government) are therecurrently operating in Australia?

(a) 1(b) 7(c) None.While our Commonwealth politicians are apt to mis-

leading call the Commonwealth Constitution, ‘The Con-stitution’, the correct answer is in fact (b). There areseven constitutions in Australia.

If this answer surprised you, you should be con-cerned. Come to think of it, if you were surprised,everybody who votes alongside you aught to be equallyworried, especially with the Commonwealth Govern-ment proposing a referendum to change one of theconstitutions on 14 September, this year.

As noted above, Australia currently has seven consti-tutions in operation: one for the Commonwealth Gov-ernment, and one for each of the States (whilst the ter-ritories do have self-regulatory statutes in place,they’re not quite the same thing). The constitutions layout what form government is to take (e.g. executive,legislature and judiciary), how laws are to be created,what limits are in place on legislative power, and whatsort of process needs to be followed in order to alterthe constitutions (such as a referendum). Consideringthis upcoming referendum regards changing the Com-monwealth Constitution, let us examine the implica-tions any change may have, including what is currentlybeing proposed.

The Commonwealth of Australia came into being on 1January 1901, the date on which the Commonwealth ofAustralia Constitution Act 1900 (Imp) came into effect.This piece of legislation was the result of some fiftyyears of discussion, debate, dispute (along with ahealthy dose of fear of German and French expansion inthe region), and finally agreement between the variousAustralian States. A central, unifying authority had longbeen seen as desirable and the newly created govern-ment would supply just that: a government whichwould pass laws relating to matters of common concernamongst the States, avoiding their petty squabbling, al-lowing free trade between the States, and present aunified front for other countries to deal with. The Com-monwealth Constitution also preserved the States andtheir own laws (with some provisos), and laid carefullimitations on the powers of the new government.Chapter 1 part V lays out the scope of powers of theparliament, with s51 detailing the areas in which it isauthorised to pass legislation. Essentially, the Common-wealth is an organisation designed for dealing with in-ternational and common concerns. Limitations preventthe Commonwealth Government from exercising toomuch control over State concerns and local governmentas they are areas which it was neither designed norequipped to cope with.

Before discussion progresses further, there are twovery important points to bear in mind. Firstly, the abili-

ty to legislate (pass laws) as laid out in the Common-wealth Constitution can by either exclusive or concur-rent. ‘Exclusive’ means that only the CommonwealthParliament may legislate in relation to a particular area.‘Concurrent’ means that both Commonwealth and Sta-te parliaments may legislate in the same area. This rais-es a second, and extremely important, issue: what hap-pens when Commonwealth and State legislation dis-agree. According to s109 of the Commonwealth Consti-tution, “when a law of a State is inconsistent with a lawof the Commonwealth, the latter shall prevail, and theformer shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be in-valid”.

Let us examine the proposal which has been laid be-fore us to vote upon at the September 14 election: torecognize local government in the Commonwealth Con-stitution and allow the Commonwealth to channelfunds directly to them, guarding against the off chanceof there being a court challenge. The Commonwealthhas a long history of trying to extend its limited power:by doing deals with the States, legally rewriting its con-stitution via referenda or by illegally passing laws be-yond its remit (which then get struck down by the HighCourt upon a successful challenge). For starters, with-out changing the constitution it is quite possible for theFederal government to channel funds to local govern-ment, via the States and, provided the money is givenvia the correct channels, a challenge to this couldn’tsucceed. Furthermore, how can it be construed that lo-cal government and their funding is an area of commoninterest? Is the upkeep of Brisbane’s or Sydney’s TownHall, or Joe Blogg’s concreting of his driveway in SouthMelbourne of national concern?

Whilst it is true that local government is not (for goodreason, as noted above) mentioned in the Common-wealth Constitution, each and every State constitutionalready has a section recognizing, and dealing with localgovernment. Though the proposed changes will notstop States from legislating in relation to local govern-ment, it needs to be kept in mind that any Common-wealth laws in that area will simply override competingState laws. It effectively robs the States of some of theirpower and moves the citizenry another step away fromthose who make decisions that directly impact uponour everyday lives. Anything that erodes the checks andbalances such as those existing between the Common-wealth and the States should be treated with extremecaution, as it is these checks and balances which under-pin stable government.

Given the current discontent in NSW over the notionof the State government overruling councils with regardto unwanted high-rise property development, a further,even more remote form, of interference would hardlyseem desirable. Control or the promise of funds to localcouncils by any other level of government implies, as amatter of course, a level of interference. When it comesto the proposed referendum, it is reasonable to ask, Cui

bono? (Who benefits?) The proposed changes may bebenign and sensible, or they may be an attempt to‘white-ant’ the States, or the issue may be a politicaldistraction or a combination of all of these. Whicheverit is, voters should ask who will ultimately benefit fromthe proposed changes.

Whilst, as a nation, we pride ourselves on being ademocracy, a voter’s input rarely amounts to more thanelecting a local candidate. Beyond that, members of thepublic get very little control over which laws get passed.Provided enough MPs in the ruling parting vote for it,the government can pass laws which are tremendouslyunpopular with the public (though they may have tosuffer eventual electoral defeat as a result). A referen-dum, in itself, presents a unique opportunity for thevoting public to truly act as a democracy and have a di-rect say on the laws which govern us, and on whetheror not we need to give governments more power overus. A referendum on the Commonwealth Constitution isof double import, as any change may have far reaching,and not necessarily obvious, implications for the entirecountry. So when it comes to vote at the referendum, itis simply not enough to just make a decision. Whateverdecision we make, it should be an informed one.

For your interest, the following is a list of some of thebooks, articles and legislation referred to in the prepa-ration of this article:

* Chisholm, R., & Nettheim, G. Understanding theLaw, 6th edn. (Sydney: LexisNexis Butterworths, 2002).

* Cook, C., Creyke, R., Geddes, R. & Hamer, D. LayingDown the Law, 6th edn. (Sydney: LexisNexis Butter-worths, 2005)

* Hanks, P., Keyzer, P. & Clarke, J. Australian Constitu-tional Law, 7th edn. (Sydney: LexisNexis Butterworths,2004).

* Murray, O & Patterson, R. ‘Planning changes de-nounced’, Northen District Times, 24 April 2013.

Legislation:

Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900(Imp)

Constitution of Queensland 2001 (Qld)Constitution Act 1902 (NSW)Constitution Act 1889 (WA)Constitution Act 1934 (Tas)Constitution Act 1975 (Vic)Constitution Act 1934 (SA)Local Government Act 1993 (NSW)

Government sites contain the legislation. Simply type‘NSW Constitution’ or ‘Qld Local Government legisla-tion’ into Google to bring up the relevant links. TheAustralasian Legal Information Institute offers a handy,free and easy to locate resource, much-loved by legalstudents Australia-wide. Find it at www.austlii.edu.au

The Greek Australian VEMA

TO BHMA 19/37MAY 2013

By Nikos Xydakis (Kathimerini, Athens)

There was some good news for Greekuniversities earlier this month, as five in-stitutions - the National Technical Uni-versity of Athens, Athens University, theAthens University of Economics and Busi-ness, the University of Patra and Thessa-loniki’s Aristotle University - were includ-ed in a list of 200 of the world’s top uni-versities by the education firm QS (on itswebsite www.topuniversities.com).

Of course how we view such lists andwhether we accept that they provideuseful insight into the quality of the edu-cation at the institutions they list is a se-parate matter.

However, if we accept that they do,then the inclusion of five Greek institu-tions among so many foreign schoolswith much larger budgets is an encourag-ing sign that allows us to conclude thatthe usual whinging and generalizationsabout the dire state of the country’s uni-versities are not only unfair, but alsowrong.

Of course we know from experiencethat many graduates of Greek universi-ties go on to pursue successful postgrad-uate studies or careers abroad, even incountries that are especially competitive.

We also know from experience how in-tensely the country’s universities are de-rided and debased in public discourse.Generalizations, choosing to focus on thebad, on the worst things about the insti-tutions, or in regard to events that relateto them, ignorance about the true situa-tion or the provincialism shown by manywhen discussing the great matter of edu-cation, petty political interests and preju-dices, do not consist of an informed opi-

nion on where Greek universities are re-ally lacking, nor do they consist of con-structive criticism.

Moreover, the comparisons often ma-de in regard to Greek universities arewithout any merit at all: For example,you will hear of a public institution that isunderfunded and overburdened beingcompared to wealthy private institutionssuch as MIT or Harvard, which charge as-

tronomical tuition fees and have a deepwell of state and private funding to drawfrom to bankroll their research pro-grams.

Such comparisons are completely outof place and they are indicative of igno-rance and an inferiority complex.

Sure there is a lot to mend and a lot toimprove at Greece’s universities, but weare not starting with nothing, from

scratch. The institutions of this country,however many there are and in whatev-er state they may be, need our love andattention, as well as our stern criticism.They also need the public to understandand appreciate their historical and socialrole.

This is the only way to make them bet-ter and more efficient in the service ofthe common good.

The Greek Australian VEMA

An encouraging sign for Greek universities

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outsideGreece

“Parthenon: An icon ofGlobal Citizenship”

The International Organising Committee -Australia - for the Restitution of the ParthenonMarbles will host the International Colloquy:“Parthenon: An Icon of Global Citizenship” inSydney from 15th to 17th November 2013.

PAGE 6/24

ArcadiaThe heart of the Peloponnese retains a gen-

uine rustic feel amid traditional villages andfir forests.

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Christian ArchitecturalSymbolism and the Holy Monastery of Pantanassa

PAGES 10/28-11/29

MEDIA’S IMPACT ON OUR CHILDREN:

Parenting the Net Generation: Part 2PAGE 7/25

We extend our sincere good wishes to all our readersfor a Happy Easter in good health and family unity

US ON ALERT

AFTER BOSTON MARATHON CARNAGEThe FBI has launched a potential terrorist investigation

after at least three people died when twin explosionsripped through the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

More than 100 people were injured in the near-simul-taneous blasts, which happened as runners finished themarathon, and with tens of thousands of spectators lin-ing the streets.

TV footage showed the blood-stained street litteredwith casualties after runners were cut down by flying de-bris. Dozens of people were taken from the scene onstretchers and in wheelchairs.

US president Barack Obama has put federal authoritieson alert and vowed to bring those responsible for theblasts to justice.

"We will find out who did this. We'll find out why theydid this," Obama said in his brief, three-minute state-ment.

"Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups,will feel the full weight of justice."

Authorities say at least three people were killed andmore than 80 injured during two explosions near the fin-ish of the marathon. A senior US intelligence official saidtwo other explosive devices were found near the end ofthe 26.2-mile (40 kilometre) course.

Additionally, the president spoke with Republican andDemocratic leaders on Capitol Hill, saying that "on dayslike this, there are no Republicans or Democrats, we areAmericans united in our concern for our fellow citizens."

TO BHMA20/38 MAY 2013

Travel

BY H. ARGYROPOULOS

Valia Calda, or “warm valley”in the Latin-based Vlach lan-guage traditionally spoken inthe area, is one of Greece’smost pristine and beautifulmountain regions, located inthe northwestern Pindosmountain range.

A breathtaking valley of thickblack pine and beech forestwith a semicircle of barren im-posing summits toweringabove - seven above 2,000 me-ters - and traversed by therushing waters of the Ark-oudorema River and dozens oftributary torrents, Valia Caldaforms the core of the PindosNational Park and is of uniqueecological and research inter-est.

The rich and wild landscapeof the park, of which the totalarea is about 7,000 hectares,forms a major wildlife sanctu-ary, hosting at least 28 am-phibian and reptile species,122 types of birds - includingeagles and vultures -and 29 va-rieties of mammals, includingthe brown bear, after whichthe Arkoudorema is named.Valia Calda is in fact the brownbear’s main natural habitat inGreece. Sightings are extreme-ly rare, as it moves mostly atnight and fears humans, butthe arrival of spring is signaledby footprints and overturnedrocks, as the bears search forfood after their hibernationperiod.

Other notable inhabitantsare the wildcat, wolf, boar, ot-ter, roe deer and wild goat -the latter two are endangereddue to illegal hunting. Thereare also 415 species of floraand 86 kinds of mushrooms.

Most of the park is coveredwith snow for an average ofseven months a year - the besttime to visit Valia Calda is May-June, when most vegetationblossoms and many birds andbutterflies can be spotted. Fall,from the end of September tothe first days of November, be-fore the first snowfall, is also agood period, when the decidu-ous trees compose a uniquecolorful panorama.

The core of the park includesthree alpine lakes, one nearthe Avgo summit, at 2,177 me-

ters, and two at Flega, whichcan be reached by a wellsign-posted trek. The entire area isin fact ideal for walking. In an-tiquity, the wider Valia Caldaarea was traversed by the Roy-al Road (Vasiliki Strada), whichlinked the Ionian Sea with theThermaikos (Thermaic) Gulf.Traces of the road have beenlocated in the village of Perivo-li.

It is thought that Vlach-speaking inhabitants of thearea - the language is still wi-

dely spoken, mostly by olderpeople - either descend fromRoman settlers or were a Latin-ized indigenous population.They were traditionally stockbreeders and migrant traders,

many of whom made fortunesin eastern and central Europeand later became benefactorsin their native villages.

During World War II, theValia Calda villages, built athigh altitudes on the slopes ofVasilitsa and Lygos mountains,suffered considerable destruc-tion by the occupiers in theirquest for guerrillas. Neverthe-less, they remain a lively andinteresting cultural entityaround the national park.

Vovousa, on the western

bounds of the park, is built onthe two lush banks of the AoosRiver, connected by an impres-sive stone bridge.

It is one of the most lively vil-lages, where ecotourism hasbegun supplementing the tim-ber industry as a source of in-come for the inhabitants in re-cent years.

Perivoli, the usual entrypoint to the park, is at an alti-tude of 1,380 meters and sur-rounded by large forest areasand mountain prairies.

It was burned down by theGermans in 1943 but was re-built around the Church ofAghios Georgios, which wassaved from the destruction.

Krania, on the eastern side ofthe park, at 950 meters, hasseveral interesting churchesand two stone bridges.

Avdella, at 1,300 meters onthe northern edge of the park,is a popular summer resort. Inrecent years, it has becomebetter known thanks to TheoAngelopoulos’s 1995 film“Ulysses’ Gaze” as the birth-place of the Manakis brothers,the first Balkan filmmakers,whose first production, “Spin-ning Women,” was made inAvdella in 1907.

ATHENSPLUS

Valia CaldaIt’s one of the best times of the year to visit this wildlife-richarea at the heart of the Pindos National Park

Spring fever in the valley

Where to stayMost villages in the Valia Calda areahave adequate guesthouses andrefuges, but do not expect luxury.Those looking for additional com-forts should inquire at Grevena,Ioannina or Metsovo. Valia Caldaarea phone code: 24620. In Perivoli:Perdikis (85244), Kalogiros (85266),Kouvatas (85242). In Spilaio: Sioulas(82214), Michos (82333), Anagno-stou (82213), Petrou (80126, 84591), Zarkoyianni (82203). In Avdella:Giatsos (81433). In Kosmati: Papazi-sis (85712). In Trikomo: Raptis (22272). In Ziakas: Bainetas (81772).Camping: Kalogiros (85208).

Where to eatIn the coffee shops, tavernas andmany guesthouses of the area youwill find basic but very tasteful fare.Meat and dairy products are first-class, as the district is a feast forlovers of meat in all its forms, espe-cially mutton kebabs. Aetofolia tisPindou (tel 6974.554.554) is a greattaverna on the road from Spilaio toPerivoli – ask for boar stifado.Grevena town has two specialistshops for mushrooms, Manitari andManitaroproionta, as well as a must-try restaurant, Avlais. Excellentbeans, honey, hilopittes and tra-chana can also be found.

What to seeThe Grevena area is marked by plen-ty of superb old stone bridges, suchas that of Aziz Aga, near Trikomo,and Portitsa, near Spilaio. Grevenahas more operators of alternativesports activities than any other areain the country. Here is a selection:Overland (24620.85032, www.over-land.gr), No Limits (210.610.0539, ),Alpine Zone (26550.24822, www.alpinezone.gr), Trekking Hellas (246-2.82858, 210.331.0323, www.trek-king.gr); Grevena Ski & Alpine Club(24620.28602).

TransportThe usual approach to Valia Calda isvia Grevena – 419 km from Athens,189 km from Thessaloniki. Perivoli is52 km from Grevena via Avdella.Many roads are unpaved but pres-ent no problem after the end of win-ter. From Perivoli, the forest roadleads to the park entrance at Stavrosand then traverses it to the easternentry point, at Salatoura Papayianni.Buses leave for Grevena fromAthens daily at 9 a.m. (tel 210.5126833). Area phone code: 24620;taxi: 22559; hospital: 22222; police:22508; Forestry Dep’t: 85245;Pindos National Park office: 85353.

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The Greek Australian VEMA